Promised Meeting
by Megane102
Summary: As the end neared, they made a promise. A promise that would change the afterlife forever. Things won't be quite the same once Shirou Emiya and Rin Kuchiki are thrown into the mix.
1. Chapter 1: The Promise

**Chapter 1: Promise**

"_So, this is how it all ends, huh? I always knew it'd end up like this eventually."_

"_Rin. I'm sorry I dragged you into this."_

"_Idiot. It's always have been my choice. I have many regrets, but fighting by your side is not one of them."_

"_..."_

"_Shirou?"_

"_If there's an afterlife after this, I promise I'll do all I can to find you again."_

"_...Of course. After all, who else is going to look after you?"_

"_...Rin..."_

"_I know. __I'll see you soon, Shirou.__"_

X

For the first time in his life, Byakuya Kuchiki was in panic. The normally-composed noble prodigy paced around the room in a haste with no rhyme or reason to it. Of course, his face was still as stoic as ever and he spoke no words, but anybody who knew him would understand that his movements were an anomaly already.

"Calm down, Byakuya." said the aged man that was Ginrei Kuchiki, his grandfather, and retired clan head and captain both. "In there is some of the best healers Soul Society has to offer. Your wife's usual health aside, she'll live."

He knew that already, yet the incumbent Sixth Division captain found himself filled with irrational worry. Only Hisana could make him feel like such, he mused.

To be fair to the man, it was hard to stay calm when the love of your life was screaming in pain in the next room.

Why, oh why did he agree to this? He knew that Hisana was fragile as she was, so why did he agree to her _bearing a child_?!

Well. He knew why.

"_I'm sorry, Byakuya-sama. I just wish to be family one last time."_

How could he say no to that?

He also understood that this was part of his duties, as the new clan head. As much as it pained him to pain Hisana, he had the responsibility to further the Kuchiki name –

Name. What was he going to name his child?!

"—It's a healthy girl! Err, or is she...?"

That snapped Byakuya out of his thoughts, along with noticing that his wife's screams has quieted down considerably. Immediately, he slid open the door connecting the two rooms and stepped inside.

He caught his breath at the sight of his wife, frail and weak as ever yet with the happiest smile he had ever seen on her. And in her arms was a gentle, calm infant – his infant. Her baby. Their child.

Slowly, Byakuya approached, drinking in the sight. Hisana smiled at him, and gently passed their child to him. Quiet. The infant was calm, not crying once, but at a glance he could tell that his child was far from sickly. With that same glance, he noticed those clear purple eyes that stared back at him. Similar to Hisana's, but more like the way she's always described her younger sister to him. Cold, yet striking.

"Rin." He suddenly said after a long silence.

"Byakuya-sama?" Hisana asked, her voice even weaker than norm.

"Rin." He repeated. "Our daughter's name shall be Rin Kuchiki."

X

Shirou wasn't a fan of stealing, truth be told. But in the hell that is Inuzuri, the Rokungai's 78th District, people had to be willing to do anything to survive.

Besides, even if he disliked thieving...

"Come back here, you brats! I'll mess you up!"

He absolutely could not let anyone get hurt.

As a redhead and short black-haired girl raced past him with large jugs of water on their backs, they were chased after by what was a positively cross man waving around a crude Kama.

Shirou stepped onto his oncoming direction. With a single look at the weapon in the man's hands, he instinctively understood the total lack of skill the man had using it, the amateurish way it was made in the first place, and all the flaws in its making. If Shirou wasn't in the body of a child, it would've been easy enough to take him down now. But he'll have to do.

So as the man swung down the crude weapon down onto him, Shirou was quick to spot a weakness in his form, kicking him in the shins before the blade could reach him. Now stunned, the young redhead could easily push him over despite their size difference, letting the man fall onto some nearby barrels.

Of course, there was no way a child like him could survive a prolonged encounter, especially with all the attention they were getting. Now that the assailant was down, it was time to run.

X

"Renji..." Shirou sighed, adressing the boy with red hair tied into a ponytail, now carelessly gorging on all the food that they've stolen. There was no need for most people in this afterlife to eat anything, but food was still a precious luxury worth fighting for.

"Hmmph?" said Renji, his mouth full. "Bwhat ish it?"

"Finish your food first. I don't mind us stealing to survive, but we really need to stop causing so much trouble here. We're gonna end up with a lot of enemies like this." He scolded. That was a bit weird, since as far as he knew Renji was many times his senior, but aging worked differently in the afterlife. By appearance, they both looked like kids of similar ages.

Renji shrugged as he swallowed. "It's fine. That's just how things are here. We'll just eat, and eat, and eat, and make sure nobody can stop us!" the redhead said with a boisterous smile, and all the children under this roof – this collective family of orphans – cheered alongside the boy.

"Well, I agree with Shirou. Making trouble's gonna lead to more." A new voice interjected, and Shirou had to look up to find its origin. A short, black-haired girl, smirking as she looked down on the group from her seat up on a tree branch. Rukia, the newest member of Renji's ragtag posse. "But to be fair, today would've gone fine if it wasn't for a certain red baboon."

Said red baboon's face heated up. "Hey! That wasn't my fault! I just slipped, is all! You barely helped me get up, shortstack!"

One could see the veins on Rukia's face tighten.

As the loud banter between them continued (also known as Tuesday), Shirou found a smile coming to his face. Well, it's fine then. As Renji said, it doesn't matter if anybody tries to stop them.

Because he'll save them all the same.

Yes. Everyone.

Idly, Shirou's gaze wandered over to the faraway horizon. There, far, far away from the purgatory of Rokungai, was massive city of white walls visible all the way from there.

Shirou didn't remember much of his life before this one. All that he could recall was...

"_Ahh... I'm saved, I'm saved..."_

A most terrible fire. A most beautiful smile.

"_Then, I'll become a Hero of Justice like dad wanted to be."_

His name. A dream.

"_I ask of you, are you my Master?"_

A fated meeting. And...

"_If there's an afterlife after this, I promise I'll do all I can to find you again."_

A promise.

His gaze upon Seireitei hardened.

A promise for a reunion. A dream to save everyone.

What he sought was behind those white walls.


	2. Chapter 2: Friends and Family

**Chapter 2: Friends and Family**

X

Rin stared carefully at her reflection in the mirror. "The day's finally come, huh?" she said to nobody in particular.

She was Rin Kuchiki, the daughter to Byakuya and Hisana Kuchiki. And now at 15 years old, about to enter her first year at the Shin'ou Academy.

The now-teen princess was dressed in the traditional female uniform of Shin'ou Academy. It was similar to the wear that she usually saw her father in, except in a different colour scheme. A red undershirt, a white shirt, and red skirt reaching all the way to her ankles. The red, she thought, suited her nicely. Her long black hair was tied into flanking twin-tails by a pair of black ribbons.

There was a knock on her bamboo door, followed by the sound of it sliding open. Only the people closest to her dared to be so "impolite" to a girl of her lineage, but it still surprised Rin to see her mother standing in the doorwar smiling. "Mom! You should be resting!" Rin said with some alarm.

The weak woman smiled. "Apologies. But I can't but help to want to see my daughter all grown up." Hisana began to approach her, but Rin was quick to meet her mother halfway and help. Hisana's health seemed to only grow worse with every passing day. Sometimes, Rin morbidly wondered if her mother would have already passed by now if it weren't for Rin's presence "giving her the will to hang on", as Hisana put it.

Helping her mother be seated at the edge of her bed, the two of them looked into their reflections in the mirror positioned across them. "You've grown so much in 15 years." Her mother noted, in her weak voice. Their appearances could be as different as night and day sometimes, but their purple eyes marked them as mother and daughter. It was comforting, as sometimes Rin felt like her eyes should be blue instead.

Rin gave the smallest of smiles. "Yeah. And you'll see me grow even more in these next few years."

Hisana closed her eyes. "I'm sure you will." The unsaid _but I won't get to see it_ hurt the younger Kuchiki.

Her mother eyed Rin's hair. "I see you're wearing the ribbons I gave you." She noted. "But won't your Father be opposed to it?"

Rin shrugged. "He'll make a ruckus, but he dotes on me too much to actually do anything." She told, making Hisana chuckle. Of course, this family's idea of 'doting' is far different from most. Byakuya kept his nigh-emotionless cool even with his daughter.

"I suppose that's true." The two of them talked some more about various things, but Rin could tell that her mother's mind was drifting with every minute. Looking forlonly into the mirror...

"Mom." Rin suddenly called out, as she realised that she couldn't stand seeing her mother like that. Slightly startled, Hisana blinked at her daughter. "Yes?"

Rin now felt regretful at doing something without thinking it through. But she couldn't back out now; Plus, she was all too reminded of her mother's mortality every time she saw her. Who knows how long she has left? "Mom. I... have an aunt, don't I?"

Hisana's startled expression turned into shock. "How did you...?" she asked with surprise. She and Byakuya had kept her search for Rukia hidden from their little girl, after all. However, Hisana soon simply gave a sigh and a tired smile. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. You're a smart girl, after all."

That kind of praise didn't feel so great in this situation. She couldn't glean that much from eavesdropping on her parents' conversations and taking a peek at her father's documents.

"But yes, I do have a little sister. Your aunt." Hisana confirmed, closing her eyes in remembrance. "I had to abandon her to survive, and I've regretted it ever since. I'm sorry we didn't tell you. As it stands, I'm unworthy to be her sister. Even if we do find her, I can't ever show myself."

Hearing that brought Rin irrational emotions. That kind of crack between family, that kind of secrecy between sisters...! For the briefest moment, a vision of a purple-haired girl appeared on Rin's mind before the young girl reached out to hold her mother's hand.

"You deserve to be my mother." She started, looking into Hisana's eyes. "You deserve to be father's wife. You deserve family. If anything, what's unsure is if your sister deserves _you_." She told as her hold on her mother's hand tightened.

"So please, live on until we can make sure of that...!"

A moment of silence passed after that plea. Hisana was much less able at holding back tears than Rin did.

"...Yes, of course." Hisana weakly responded, smiling. "I'll try my hardest."

X

"Rin."

After helping her mother head back to a proper bed, Rin headed out to the estate's courtyard. As soon as she stepped into the centre of the courtyard, she heard her father call out to her. Followed immediately by the distinct sound of Shunpo, Rin guessing her father has now appeared behind her.

As usual, she was spotted long before she could spot him. There was no way she could beat such a senior Shinigami's skills... _yet_. Calmly, Rin turned around to face the stoic nobleman and Captain. "Good morning, Father."

Immediately, his eyes was drawn to her hair. "That's an inappropiate style for your standing as the scion of the Kuchiki." As both she and her mother predicted, he was already on it.

For her part, Rin gave a small respectful bow and a smile. "But, dear Father. I have gone through every page of the Academy's and the clan's rulebook both, and I have found no instance explicitly prohibiting this hairstyle." As if for emphasis, she ended her sentence with a flick of a twintail.

"Rules are one thing, tradition is another." Byakuya asserted. "Someone of your standing wearing something like that is unheard of."

"Well, not all clans care so much about outward appearance." She started, trying to not shudder as she remembered her meeting with the Omaeda clan. "In my humble opinion, father, it is more prestigious to break away tradition and set new norms than be held down by old ones."

A worthy ideal if it wasn't in the context of wearing twintails.

Her father stayed quiet, which told her that she had the edge. Time for an emotional appeal.

"Besides," she added. Her hand moved up to brush her fingers against the black ribbons that tied her hair. "These are mother's... is it wrong of me to wear something my mother gifted me?"

That was enough. Byakuya sighed. "Very well. I trust that you'll perfectly match the expectations of an heiress in other respects."

"Of course." She readily agreed, turning around. "I should get going now, however."

"Wait."

She halted at that word, and heard her father approach behind her. Then, the strangest thing.

Byakuya Kuchiki started patting her on the head.

No, that's not quite right.

He didn't seem to know how much strength to use. So to be more accurate, he was grabbing her head and mashing it around.

That's only to be expected, she supposed.

After all, that's the first time he'd ever patted her head.

"Take care, Rin."

Despite that, the girl couldn't help but smile. "Of course, Father. I'll see you soon."

X

Rin walked through the halls of Shin'o Academy with the air and grace befitting of noble heiress. Everywhere she walked, she was met with awe from the blue-blood students that already knew who she was, and still stunned even thoise who did not. The former were quick to ingratiate themselves with the Kuchiki heiress, bowing as she walked past and ready to satisfy her needs.

Which was all annoying, because it was antithetical to some of her primary goals in attending the academy: to make friends.

It's not even like she was aiming for some sort of Nakama-level undying friendship.

It was her vanity… no, her conviction, that she must be number-one both academically and physically. If she was to be a student, she wanted to be the best, otherwise she would dishonor the Kuchiki name. So that's why she aimed to be a perfect student, flawless in all aspects.

But at the same time, she also had a dangerous role as a borderline princess, so she shouldn't associate with others too much. It would only harm them in the end, which she wanted to avoid. So inevitably, she expected a shallow social life.

But the kind of relationships she would forge with her peers here would not even reach that.

...At the least, she was hoping for at least one person she could have "friend or foe" relationship with; a friendly and casual rivalry. The image of a strong-headed brown-haired girl briefly came to mind.

Sighing, she managed to get away from the watchful bands and escape to a secluded balcony. Looking out and down to the seemingly-endless expanse of wastes that was Rokungai.

Rin closed her eyes. Her memories of her past life were faint, and they grew more vague with every year. There was only so much that she could recall.

But there was one scene that she could always vividly remember.

"_If there's an afterlife after this, I'll promise I'll do all I can to find you."_

"...I wonder how long it'll take until I find him again." She quietly asked herself. Strangely, it was never a metter of _if_ but _when_. Like their promised reunion was destined to occur.

Rin shook her head, before turning to get back to class.

Just like that, her first year in Shin'ou Academy went like a breeze.

X

It was deathly quiet. Shirou stared intensely at the scene in front of him.

Three unmarked graves.

"Damn!" he heard Renji curse behind him, breaking the silence. "Damn, damn, damn...! How could this happen?!" Renji kneeled down and punched the earth.

Rukia, for her part, laid a hand on Renji's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "Calm down, Renji. It's not your fault—"

"—Like hell! You and Shirou have been warning us for years now...!"

That was true. He had been warning the group that their repeated transgressions could earn them dangerous enemies, but even he ultimately never tried to stop their actions and instead aided them.

It was only supposed to be a typical quick run for water and food, but they were lured into an ambush. They had earned the ire of a local gang, and where years before they'd have been shown leniency as kids, they weren't children anymore. They were on the verge of adulthood.

And despite Shirou's best attempts, he failed to protect them all.

He failed to save them.

Tightening his fists, Shirou immediately began to step away from them, walking... towards the City of Shinigami far in the horizon.

"S-Shirou?" "Oi, where are you going?" He heard the two of them call out behind him.

Shirou turned back to face them. "I'm going to become a Shinigami." he declared.

"I was too weak to save everyone. I need to get stronger. The only way that's possible is to become a Shinigami." He elaborated. Then turning back around to continue walking—

Suddenly, he felt a foot connecting with the back of his head. He was sent flying into a shrub.

He'd recognize Rukia's kick from anywhere.

The strength that picked him off the ground was certainly Renji's. Shirou came face to face with a very irate redhead, and before he could say anything, the other boy punched him in the face.

Not that he really had much to say. "Ouch." He winced, rubbing his bruise.

"Idiot. You think you're the only one here who feels like that?" Rukia asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm so angry. Angry at those thugs, angry at the world... and most of all, at myself." Renji added. "Fuck if I'll ever let something like that happen again. We're coming with you."

Shirou blinked. "But, what about the rest of the group...?"

Rukia gave a bitter smile. "The loss affected everyone. Our... family, isn't going to stay together much longer no matter what, I think."

Shirou could only stay quiet at that. This was precisely the reason he had to get stronger.

How could he become a Hero of Justice if he couldn't even save his family of orphans?

Shirou got back up onto his feet, leading the remains of his family to those faraway white walls.

"Then, let's go. We'll become" _–Heroes of Justice –_"Shinigami, together."

X


	3. Chapter 3: Testing

**Chapter 3: Testing**

Raindrops fell from the sky and onto her face as she looked on solemnly. It was just as well that it was raining, for it helped Rin conceal her tears.

Her father, however, remained aloof as ever even as his wife's coffin was lowered into the ground. Unnoticed by all but those closest to him in heart, however, was the shaking of his fists as he watched.

Everyone knew that Hisana was never going to be long for this world, ironic as that is for an afterlife. Even Byakuya and Rin had long accepted this morbid fact, but accepting and facing are different things. Certainly, Rin was not expecting, not _hoping_, that her mother would pass away just under a year after she had left for Shin'ou Academy.

It was a tragedy all the more painful due to the fact that Rin was unable to fulfill her oath that she would find her aunt before her mother's passing. It was something that Rin had thrown herself wholeheartedly at, helping her father's efforts despite his misgivings. Still, after a year of searching, the results were negligible.

All Hisana wanted was to be with her family, her _full_ family, in her last moments.

Rin turned her face towards her father, and for a moment, the two locked eyes. Though their faces were one of quiet sorrow and unrelenting stoicism respectively, there was a definite fire in both of their eyes.

They _will_ find Rukia, for Hisana's sake.

* * *

"Woah…" Renji said as he gaped.

Shirou could only agree. He knew instinctively that he was familiar with cities in his past life, but given his hazy memories, the splendour of Seireitei was all too overwhelming for the trio who had lived most of their lives in some of the worst Soul Society had to offer. And they were only at the edge of the City of Shinigami.

Hell, even the gradual changes in living standards as they walked through Rokungai were surprising enough. The 1st District looked almost _livable_! Shirou couldn't help but join Renji and Rukia's gawking at the clean and ordered streets of Seireitei. Especially eye-catching were the sets of massive white buildings and towers right in the centre of Seireitei, next to an oddly-shaped hill.

"And we can get all of this just by having a little spiritual pressure?" Shirou asked, in slight disbelief.

Rukia frowned as she recalled all the information she had gathered along the way. "Well… that's the official stance. But standards that low is usually reserved for children of nobles and the like." she sighed. "For people like us? Better try to show some talent to get admitted. There'll probably be a physical test, too."

Renji snorted. "Figures."

Shirou could only shrug helplessly. But that hope that even the slightest bit of talent can save one from a life of poverty was not one that only the three of them held. Hundreds of citizens of Rokungai were here, lining up in the entrance to Shin'ou academy, hoping for an escape from the harsh life in Rokungai and into the relative luxuries of Shinigami. This was far from Shirou's main motivations for becoming a Shinigami, but it was a motivation that he could understand.

Shin'ou Academy, from the outside, looked more like a palace or castle from feudal Japan than what Shirou usually associated with a school. Though now that image was slightly tarnished with the long lines of people slowly flowing past the gate and into the courtyard.

Shirou sighed as he got into line with the masses of hopefuls. "Looks like we have a lot ahead of us."

* * *

Truthfully, Rin would prefer to take a break from school and spend more time coping with the recent loss of her mother, just a week ago. As well as continuing the hunt for her mother's sister.

But a Kuchiki can never shirk their duties. Her father hadn't faltered once from his work as a Shinigami Captain this past week despite the passing of his wife, and she sure isn't going to either. In a way, focusing on work was almost therapeutic. Rin just wished it was a little less boring.

Shin'ou Academy had a standard six-year course for its students. However, once in a few decades, there would come prodigies who would smash through the curriculum and end up graduating before six years. Rin had initially expected the same when she blazed through her first year.

Alas, it seems like the Academy had introduced a new policy requiring even prodigies to spend at least two years as a teacher's assistant along with attending advanced classes. It seems like this was implemented after a certain Gin Ichimaru finished the whole six-year course _in just one year_, some sixty years ago.

So despite technically being a second-year who had already completed most of the curriculum, she was among the sixth-years aiding the juniors. And in this case, admitting new juniors.

Really, she could've pressured the school to graduate her early with the massive weight of the Kuchiki name, but Rin didn't think that was necessary. She was still hopeful that she could gain some sort of friendships despite a lackluster first year. Plus, even if she wanted to spend more time searching Rukia, being a graduated Shinigami would come with its own workload.

As in turns out, this was the best decision she could've ever made when it comes to finding her aunt.

* * *

Rukia breathed a sigh of relief when the person in front of her was finally finished with the spiritual exam. Failing, she noted, with the man dejectedly walking back past her. How reassuring. Still, Rukia gathered the courage to move forward and take his place, cheered on by Renji and Shirou behind her.

Her examiner for the spiritual test was a senior student, it seemed. Sitting behind the counter was a teenaged-looking girl (but appearances were wholly deceiving in the Soul Society when it came to age), her strangely familiar purple eyes focused on the clipboard in her hand. The girl's long black hair was tied into twintails by a pair of ribbons. Her smooth white skin stood in contrast to the rough, dirty complexions of most Rukia had seen in Rokungai.

"Alright. I am Rin, and I'll be your examiner for spiritual power and control. Please tell me your name and origin―" she started, but the moment the girl's eyes switched from the clipboard to Rukia herself, the girl ‒ Rin ‒ seemed to freeze. Her eyes widened as she took in Rukia's appearance.

Rukia herself felt awkward enduring that gaze, unsure what brought it on. "Oh, uh… I am Rukia Inuzuri, from the 78th District Inuzuri. Nice to meet you." she introduced herself. At this, the twintailed girl seemed to grip her clipboard harder. Closing her eyes and mouthing Rukia's name.

Before the smaller girl could ask, Rin's eyes opened and she gave her a small smile. "Ah, apologies, I have been a bit distracted lately." she told, before gesturing to the open table between them. "As I was saying, I am here to test your spiritual capabilities. I'd like you to form a sphere out of your spiritual power, and maintain it the best you can.

Rukia nodded. It was something she and her two friends had practiced for a long time, even before they had made the collective decision to apply here. Rukia closed her eyes before extending out her hand with her palm faced upwards. Focusing all her power towards her palm, imagining it taking the shape of a snowball…

She opened her eyes when she felt a disruption to that flow of energy. Floating atop her hand was a sphere about half a foot long, and Rin was pushing her own hand against the sphere. Rukia pursed her lips, trying to maintain the sphere as long as she could, lasting a good few seconds it dissipated.

Despite this, the examiner gave her an approving smile. "Good reserves of spiritual power, and good control of it, for someone at your stage. You pass." she told, before giving her a sharp look. "I hope to see more of you, Rukia."

It was a strange encounter for sure, but Rukia was too giddy at passing the test to care. She left, awaiting her two friends from the side. Renji's test was a much less exciting affair for Rin, despite being one of the more promising applicants she had seen today. His sphere was a bit smaller than Rukia's but glowed much brighter. Though it was easy to disrupt. Good reserves, but lacking in control.

The young man that followed him was a different story…

* * *

Rin was deep in her own thoughts as she wrote on her clipboard. She certainly didn't expect to meet her aunt with such little fanfare today.

Because that lady was _most definitely_ Hisana's sister. Rukia was the spitting image of Rin's mother, and sharing the same name with the sister that Hisana often talked about had to be more than a coincidence.

But she can't be too hasty in regards to taking in Rukia into the Kuchiki family. The two barely knew each-other, and how could they be a real family if they weren't even friends? No no no, she would have to ease Rukia into the idea of having relatives and being a noble. Rin was surprised to find that she was taller than her aunt, though.

So deep was she into her thoughts that she didn't acknowledge the next applicant until he was already at the counter. She raised her head, ready to utter an apology―

And Shirou and Rin shared a long, hard look into the other's eyes.

Unfortunately, neither of them truly recognized the other for who they were.

For Shirou, his memories were far too hazy to put together Rin's familiar face with a known identity. He knew he recognized her from_ somewhere_, but he couldn't for the life of him say exactly where.

It was a different case for Rin. She had vivid memories of her last moments, of that last promise. The problem was, that Shirou looked nothing like the man she remembered being with in her final moments. The man she remembered was tall, lean yet well-muscled, white-haired, grey-eyed, and covered in dark skin.

The redheaded teen in front of her simply did not match any of that description.

Still, both felt the other was familiar, they just couldn't figure out why or how.

Their staring match continued for a few more moments before the applicant behind Shirou gave a cough. Rin broke her gaze, cheeks having some faint redness to it as she cleared her throat. "R-Right! I'm Rin, and I'll be examining your spiritual capabilities. I'm sure you know what to do?"

The redhead blinked, amidst the snickers from his friends on the sidelines. "Oh, right. I'm Shirou Emiya, from Inuzuri." he introduced himself before extending out his palm and closing his eyes.

"Trace, on." he whispered to himself. These words form the trigger of a self-suggestion that allowed him to flow his spiritual power throughout his body. He focused them onto the palm of his hand. Rather than a sphere, in his mind he imagined his energy taking the form of a sword floating in the air and spinning around in place to form a 'sphere' from its tip. He felt outside forces trying to disrupt the sword's spin, but he resolutely maintained it in place.

"Hmmn…" he heard Rin's strangely-familiar voice, the redhead opening his eyes to observe. The sphere floating in his hand was much smaller than Rukia's or Renji's, instead only about the size of a tennis ball. Despite the imagery in his head, it was still very much a normal sphere. Sword-related imagery simply made spiritual control much easier for Shirou.

Still, Rin seemed to have difficulty lodging it from its place with pushes of her hand. It was when she started trying it to crush it with her hand that Shirou started to grit his teeth as he tried his hardest to maintain the sphere. After a dozen or so seconds he relented, sighing as the ball dissipated within Rin's hand.

"Phew…" Rin sighed, only to give him a little smile. "Weak reserves, but… excellent control." She said succinctly, with an approving nod. A nod that Shirou mirrored, satisfied that his training hadn't been for naught. He began to walk past Rin - the line behind him had started to become agitated with how much time they were taking - but just as he passed by, he stopped and turned back to Rin. Extending out his hand, this time for a handshake.

Shirou smiled. "A little bit late to say this, but I hope we get along." he greeted.

Rin blinked, and red began to faintly color her cheeks. "R-Right. Of course. Nice to meet you, Emiya-kun." she said before returning the handshake. The way she said his name made his heart skip a beat, but he didn't have time to ponder and instead made his way to Rukia and Renji.

The both of them welcomed him with smirks and grins respectively.

"Hoho, what's this, you sly devil? A long stare, a more-than-friendly greeting. Is this love at first sight?" Rukia teased, half-hiding her smirk with her hand.

"Damn, Shirou! We just got here and you're already making moves? Don't tell me this is the real reason you came here!" Renji laughed.

"Y-You two… shut up…" was all he could weakly reply, looking away in embarrassment. Even so, Shirou felt like he couldn't quite deny the accusations…

Luckily, their teases eventually came to a stop. They still had a physical exam to complete (and pass), after all.

* * *

The three of them entered into one of the buildings in the school grounds. It quickly became apparent that this was a dojo, and inside it was filled with a dozen or so uniformed senior students. Each was armed with a shinai, facing off against what had to be fellow Rokungai citizens. Some citizens were armed with shinais of their own, others faced the seniors with their bare hands. Besides every pair of duelling senior-applicant was another senior taking the results in on their own clipboards. It was clear by first glance that in every pair, the seniors had the upper hand if not utterly thrashing the green applicants.

"The physical test is a duel?!" Rukia realized with a little bit of dread, while Renji seemed a little excited. Shirou only nodded resolutely.

"Ah, are you three done with the spiritual test?" They heard a voice call out to them. It came from a senior student with a clipboard in his hand. The young man was tall, with a long thin face and small eyes. "I'm Aoga. Everyone else is already taken, so you'll have to take the test with Hisagi here."

The fellow senior that Aoga gestured to certainly had a striking appearance. The lean-built man had sharp grey eyes and black hair. Most eye-catching was the choker around his neck and the '69' tattoo on his cheek. Nice. He had the appearance of a punk, and Shirou could see why the other applicants went to the other seniors first.

Despite this, the man himself gave them a calm nod and smile. "Welcome. I'm Shuuhei Hisagi. I know this test may _look _intimidating, but rest assured, you don't actually have to _win_ the duel to pass the test." He explained. "We're just testing what combat capabilities you do have. You can use a shinai or fight bare-handed, it's up to you. Here in Shin'ou, we teach both Zanjutsu and Hakuda."

That seemed to calm Rukia somewhat, enough to step forward. She had chosen to forgo the shinai and to her bare hands, citing lack of experience with swordplay compared to their more common streetfights. Still, her small frame didn't do any favors, and while she managed to avoid many of Hisagi's attacks she could hardly land any of her own, and it only took a decent hit of Hisagi's shinai to her abdomen for her to hiss and admit defeat. Still, Hisagi seemed to praise her style, but thought she would do better with swordplay.

Renji, on the other hand, chose to take a shinai off the stand to counter Hisagi's own despite his inexperience. He took on an aggressive style from the start, taking many hits in exchange for landing some of his own. His body was sturdy and was able to take on those hits, until Hisagi managed to knock away Renji's wooden blade. Shirou could tell that the ponytailed teen had earned a good result, however.

And then it was Shirou's turn.

He stepped forward, picking up Renji's fallen shinai. Closing his eyes as he took a deep breath, information filling his brain. He had the ability to instinctively take in a weapon's history by sight alone, but it was even stronger with touch.

Shirou moved into a stance opposite Hisagi, giving a nod to the senior student. His brown eyes scanning the shinai in his opponent's hand. Rather than one or two users, both the shinai in his and Hisagi's hand had been wielded by hundreds if not thousands of different users throughout their lifetimes. It was a practice sword used by applicants, students and a few teachers alike, and the multitude of varying skills experienced by each one was almost overwhelming. Still, Shirou thought that he could discern enough of a pattern among them; culminating into what was equivalent to graduate-level Zanjutsu skills. It would hopefully be enough to match Hisagi.

Shirou stood in silence before his opponent. Hisagi chose to take the first move, stepping forward and swinging his wooden blade towards Shirou's left.

It was _weak_, Shirou noted, and slow. The senior was of course taking it easy in a test against newbies, but that was unacceptable when fighting Shirou. The redhead easily parried the strike and quickly countered with an attack of his own, his blade landing a decent hit on Hisagi's left side. Their eyes met, and Shirou conveyed a silent warning: _Don't underestimate me._

It was a warning that Hisagi only took seriously after a few more blows when Shirou sent a feint to Hisagi's right, only to swing it around to land a strong hit on Hisagi's left shoulder. The black-haired man grunted, a spark lighting in his eyes as he finally took Shirou as a serious threat.

For what felt like hours but in reality was only minutes, the two of them exchanged blow after blow of their wooden swords. His stamina was not up for this, Shirou noted. Though he had made a strong showing initially, as the duel went on Shirou was taking more and more hits while landing fewer and fewer of his own. Still, he gritted his teeth and endured the pain. Like Renji, he was willing to take on Hisagi's strikes as long as he could land his own.

So focused was he in this duel that he didn't notice how the rest of the dojo had quieted down. All the other tests between seniors and applicants had stopped, as everyone's attention had been drawn to the heated duel between Shirou and Hisagi. It was such a contrast to the other one-sided tests that the Rokungai applicants couldn't help but be in awe by one of their own. The seniors, on the other hand, were shocked that a random applicant was on near-equal footing with _Shuuhei Hisagi._

"D-Damn… I knew he was good, but I didn't realize he was _this_ good." Renji muttered, and Rukia would've nodded in agreement if she wasn't so taken by the intense match. Their friend had always been much better than the rest of their orphan family when it came to swordplay, but it was different seeing him beat street thugs and seeing him matching a trained student.

She watched as Hisagi swung down his sword in a powerful overhead swing, which Shirou managed to dodge by leaping back. He immediately countered by lunging forward, thrusting his wooden blade towards Hisagi's centre. The senior barely managed to catch the attack, forcing Shirou's shinai away. Still, the redheaded teen was now wide open, and Hisagi took the chance to land a hit on Shirou's right hip.

"No kidding…" This time it was the mutterings of Aoga, the senior student and their examiner. "That kid is fighting against Hisagi, you know? That guy's the top of our class and is already getting missions from the Gotei 13. To think…" he trailed off.

Just as he said that, Hisagi began to close the distance between the two. Shirou seemed to have been tired out, leaving many openings in his form. Something Hisagi was keen to take advantage of, swinging a strike on his opponent's weakened left side. It quickly would appear that this was a trap, however, and Shirou was ready to dodge the strike by stepping back before swinging down his sword onto Hisagi. The senior couldn't bring his sword up in time and instead had to block the strike with his arm, hissing as the wooden blade smacked against the side of his arm.

Still, although it was a duel of near-equal footing, it was just that, _near-equal_. Shirou really was tired out, and in the end, his lack of stamina compared to Hisagi cost him, and the senior prodigy was able to take advantage of Shirou's weakening grip to smack his shinai away from his hands. Shirou let out a sigh, admitting defeat with his hands raised up. His fatigue caught up to him, the auburn-haired teen dropping onto his ass after his knees wavered.

Despite the embarrassing ending, Shirou blinked as he was suddenly greeted by applause. It was only now that he realized all the attention he had garnered from the other applicants and students, the teen now feeling a little awkward.

His victorious opponent gave him a little smile as he extended his hand towards him. "That was a great fight, Emiya. To say that you passed the test would be putting it lightly." Shirou could only give a little awkward laugh as he took Hisagi's hand, using the punk-like senior's help to raise himself to his feet.

"I-It wasn't really that…" he began, trying to humbly deflect all the attention he was starting to receive. He awkwardly looked around, and it was only then did he realize the presence of another.

Standing in the doorway was Rin, the strangely-familiar senior who had administered their spiritual exam. And she was looking at him with eyes of interest.

* * *

Rin slid open the door to the teacher's lounge and stepped inside. One of teachers nearby raised their heads from the documents he was scanning, first noticing her uniform. "Students aren't allowed here without proper-" he started with a stern voice, only to then recognize Rin's face. "-Lady Kuchiki! M-My apologies for my rudeness. How can I help you today?" he quickly added, bowing slightly.

Rin's eye twitched. Normally such undue respect - by the school's staff to boot - due to her family ties alone was irritating, but right now it would work to her advantage. Still, this was why she refrained from introducing her family name to any of the applicants while she was administering the exams.

"Oh, it's nothing, Sensei. I simply wanted to check the names list of Class #1. I will be helping Onobara-sensei teach that class, after all." she said with a smile, finding the desired papers on a nearby desk and leafing through it.

"T-That's…" the teacher from before tried to protest, but quickly shut up. Going through documents like that was certainly against academy rules, but wealth and power tended to overwrite rules, and the Kuchiki had plenty of both.

Rin scanned through the text, and it seemed that her worries were well-founded: Neither Shirou or Rukia made it into Class #1, the top advanced class that she was assigned to. Rukia's spiritual performance was good but it didn't make up for her lackluster physical performance, and it was the opposite for Shirou. His physical performance was outstanding, but alas the entrance exam valued raw spiritual power more which he lacked in. The two's friend Renji Abarai made it into the class, however.

Rukia was an absolute priority for entering Class #1, to give Rin better priorities in getting closer with her unknowing aunt. As for Shirou… she knew she recognized him from _somewhere_ in her past life, and that was worth investigating. And even without that, his display in the physical exam made him worth having on her side.

Rin turned her attention to the nearby teacher, giving a deceptively innocent smile. "Ahh, Sensei, you're in charge of assigning applicants to each class, no? Then, I would like to make a request. It would be very helpful if you could add Rukia Inuzuri and Shirou Emiya into Class #1." Her request shocked the older man, and he seemed to open his mouth to voice his objections before Rin quickly added, "Certainly, my clan and I would be disappointed if you couldn't help with such a simple task."

This seemed to shut the teacher up. Her words were a good mix of enough implied reward and punishment both to convince him, and the older man nodded. "...O-Of course. I'll make the changes right away."

The Kuchiki heiress smiled. "I appreciate the help, sensei."

* * *

_AN: Yes, I'm alive. I have changed the name of this account and deleted most of my old fics, though._

_Rukia's last name is "Inuzuri" after the district she came from, along the same veins as Zaraki's and Yachiru's names._

_I will be taking liberties with how mechanics from either series works, because Kubo is pretty vague with Bleach while Nasuverse is confusing._


End file.
